Signal



.l. E. BALL. SIGNAL: APPLICATION FILED- JULY 3, 1920.

Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

INVENTOR WITNESiFSi ATTORNEY J. E. BALL.

SIGNAL. APPLICATION FILED JULY 3.1920

mm @m. r; 6 PT Mm wfi m J P W m A'TTORN Y UNITED STATS" JOHN E. BALL, 0F COUNCIL BLUFFS. IOWA.

' SIGNAL. 7

' Specification of Letters Patent. "Patented AprL5, 1921.

Application filed July 3, 1920. Seria1 1\To. 393,821.

' simple, cheap and thoroughly eflicient apparatus of this class which may be operated quickly and conveniently by the driver of the vehicle to indicate the direction in which he is about to steer the vehicle.

A further object is the production of a direction indicating apparatus for vehicles, in which the signal is normally rece ved in a casing'and manually operated to brlng the same into or out of the casing, means being provided for locking the signal in either position, and means being-also provided for reducing the friction between the signal and casing during the sliding movement of the former through the latter.

The foregoing, and other objects which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, maybe accomplished by a construction, combination and operative arrangement of parts, such as is disclosed by the drawings.

In the draw1ngs:--

Figure 1 is a view in elevation looking toward the windshield of a vehicle, and illustrating the application of the improvement.

Fig. 2 is an elevation showing the slgnal in signaling position.

Fig. 3 is a cross view on the line Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a similar view on the line H of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a similar view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the, signaling arms.

Fig. 7 is a similar view of one of the clamps which may be employed for retaining the device on the vehicle.

lVhile in the drawings I have illustrated the improvement attached to the dash of a vehicle, approximately in a line with the lower edge of the windshield thereof, it is to be understood that the same may be attached to any other desired part of a vehicle, and theevent of the improvement being employed on a closed vehicle,"smallopenings may be madein the sides thereof through which the casings or housings for the indicatorsv pass. v C

As disclosed by the drawings two indicators are employed which are arranged in parallelism, but, as the details of construction of both of the indicators are similar,

particular reference will be made to only one of the same, while the reference characters indicating the'diiferent. parts are to be considered applicable to both of the devices.

On the sides of the body of. the vehicle are the head portions or membersl of'hous-- ings 2. The, housings are inthe nature of cross sectionally elllpti'cal casings so that no sharp corners or edges are provided in the construction'the'reof. The housings are secured by clips or brackets 3 to the front 7 V of the automobile, and the head portions 1 .of the said housings are retained in spaced relation to each other by inwardly flared flanges 4 that connect the side members 5 of the said housing. It is to be noted that the members 4 terminate a suitable distance away from the outer ends of theheads 2, and if desired the lower member l may be of a greater length than. the upper member 4. This may be found desirable, inasmuch i as the lower member 4: supports the disk 6 naling device is located, as indicated bythe numeral 7. I

Each of the signal disks .6 is provided with an arm 8 that is elliptical in cross section, and that, of course, has its sides flared to the sides of the disk. The. arm is of a on both faces of which a hand or other sigless cross sectional diameter than the'hous mg 2 1n whlch it is received, and preferably the arm 8 is hollow. On the arm 8, at desired spaced intervals there are arranged continuous anti-frictional bands 9 that contact with the inner'walls of the housings 2.

Each of the housings has on its inner face an elongated slot 10 provided, adjacent to the ends thereof with downwardly extend- V mg passages 11. 7

Each of the arms 8 has at its inner end a transverseopening 12. Passingthrough the opening isa lug 13. -On the inner face ofv the lug is a compressible spring. member 14:.

On the outer face of the lug there is a handle 15 that is also arranged on the outer face of the housing 2. The handle is designed to be NVhen in signaling position the handle is moved to brim the 111 13 in the assagell near the outer end of the slot 10. The

spring element 14 engaging with the lug exerts a tension against the inner face of the handle and the lug, thus holding the handle against the wall of the housing that surrounds the outer passage 11. In a like manner a spring tension is exerted between the handle and the wall of the housing that surrounds the inner passage 11, so that the device inay be effectively locked in either sig naling Or non-signaling position. The antifrictional bands that surround the arms 8 permit of the free sliding of the arms through the housing, and it is thought that the foregoing description, when taken in connection with the drawings, will fully set forth the simplicity and advantages of the construction to those skilled in the art to which such inventions relate, without furtheir detailed description.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim, is L hicles, including A direction indicating apparatus for veanelongated housing elliptical in cross section having a round 7 head at the end thereof providing two spaced members, and flanges connecting the upper and lower edges thereof to the housing and the lower flange being of a greater.

length than the upper flange, a signal ineluding a disk that is normally received in v the housing and rests on the lower flange thereof, an elongated arm elliptical in cross section extending from the disk into the housing, anti-frictional bands on the arms, said housing having elongated slots and passages communicating therewith adjacent the ends thereof, a lug passing through the arm and entering theslot, spring means on the lug contacting with the inner ends of the arm for moving the lug inward of the housing, a handle member on the outer end of the lug and received thereby into contacting engagement with the outer face of the hous- I ing, and said handle designed to cause the lug to be passed through the slot to enter either of the passages thereof when the same is manually operated to bring the disk to signaling or non-signaling position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

' JOHN E. BALL. 

